November 5th, 1992. President Bush Narrowly wins a Second Term:
On November 5th, 1992, thanks to third Party candidate Ross Perot entering the race in February and deciding to stay in the race amid controversy, and allegations of rape coming out against Democratic nominee Bill Clinton, an unpopular President George Bush won the 1992 election narrowly:
President George H.W. Bush (R-TX)/ Vice President J. Danforth Quayle (R-IN):275 EV/39.5 PV
Governor William J. "Bill" Clinton (D-AR)/ Senator Albert A. Gore Jr. (D-TN): 263 EV/38% PV
Businessman H. Ross Perot (I-TX)/ Ret. Vice Admiral James Stockdale (I-CA): 0 EV/ 21.8% PV
December 15th 1992: Lawrence Eagleburger is confirmed full time to the position of US Secretary of State, having served as Acting Secretary since August upon James Baker's resignation to become White House Chief of Staff.
January 1, 1993: The Alabama Crimson Tide defeats the Miami Hurricanes 34-13 to win the 1992-93 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
January 16th 1993: Former White House Chief of Staff and Transportation Secretary Samuel Skinner, having been recalled to government service, is confirmed as HUD Secretary, replacing Jack Kemp who had resigned ahead of Bush's second inauguration, frustrated at the lack of policy achievements in HUD.
January 20, 1993: President Bush is inaugurated. He promises to "continue to steer America along the track of growth" and declares "America must not fall back from our success but build on it." The speech is well-received. However with a Democrat Congress and voter fatigue and very little political capital there are questions as to how successful Bush's second term can be.
January 21st 1993: New Bush cabinet appointees, Treasury Secretary Michael Boskin (replacing Nicholas Brady) and Interior Secretary James Hansen (replacing Manuel Lujan) are confirmed and sworn into office. Alongside the appointments of Eagleburger and Skinner, they make up the new members of the Bush Cabinet. All other Cabinet Secretaries remained in post.
January 1, 1993: The Alabama Crimson Tide defeats the Miami Hurricanes 34-13 to win the 1992-93 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
February 1, 1993: The US unemployment rate falls to 7.0% President Bush's approval rating is at 50%
February 12, 1993: Nearly 20 House Republicans vow never to vote for a tax increase, even if its proposed by President Bush. One of these Republicans is Newt Gingrich.
February 13, 1993: Cult leader David Koresh is accidentally shot and killed while cleaning a submachine gun at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas.
February 18, 1993: 3 Iraqi men are arrested for plotting to assassinate the President.
February 19, 1993: The Iraqi government is linked to an attempt on the President's life. The US begins bombing Iraq in retaliation.
February 25, 1993: A draft budget bill from the White House is leaked. the draft shows the White House wants $150 billion in spending cuts, and no tax increases(in fact taxes are slightly cut). Congressional Democrats express disappointment with the budget, with Speaker Tom Foley saying "The administration needs to take serious responsibility for this country's dire fiscal state. It is unfair that the poor and ordinary Americans should exclusively suffer the burden of measures to cut the deficit."
March 12th 1993- A bomb explodes at Capitol South Metro Station in Washington D.C. 17 are killed, and more than 40 injured. There is severe damage to the station as well as moderate to light damage of the O'Neill House Office Building and the Cannon House Office Building.
March 13th, 1993: President Bush holds a Press Conference about the Attacks at Capitol South Metro Station:
"Good Morning. Barbara and I send our condolences to the families of the 17 people who tragically lost their lives in yesterday's attacks, and we pray for a speedy recovery for the 40 men and women who were injured in the attacks. I want to assure the American people that the United States government will do everything in its power to find who is responsible for these attacks, and when we find them, we will bring them to justice. Thank you."
March 16, 1993: A new UN mission in Somalia is authorized. Led by the US 28 nations dedicate troops to the UNISOM mission, a total of nearly 30,000 personeel. President Bush vows to restore stability to war-torn Somalia.
March 19, 1993: Supreme Court Justice Byron White retired.
March 20, 1993: President Bush's approval rating is at 46%.
April 3, 1993: President Bush makes speech on Bosnia crisis. Bush condemns "war crimes" and says "the international community shall not tolerate crimes against humanity." Bush calls on players in the region to make peace and declares "The United States and our allies are willing to do all that is necessary, including intervention, to ensure peace in Bosnia-Herzegovina."
April 3, 1993: Bush nominated Roger Miner for the Supreme Court. Miner, a moderate to center-right judge is widely acclaimed and faces little opposition, though conservatives wished for a more conservative nominee.
April 11, 1993: Bush and Russian President Yeltsin met and discussed the development of the former Soviet Union. The two partners both described the meeting, held in the White House, as very productive and strengthened US-Russian relations. Issues discussed ranged from free market transition, border disputes, nuclear weapons and long-term relations. Diplomats have expressed hope the two countries can move beyond their emnity to build a strong relationship.
April 20, 1993: US intervention in Bosnia came closer as the Serbs rejected the UN peace proposal. Secretary of State James Baker declared "The United States is very disappointed in the refusal of the Serbs and other players in the Bosnia-Herzegovina to make serious moves for peace."
April 24, 1993: Russia has defended Serbia and reaffirmed their ties to the country.
April 27, 1993: The White House has released its plans for the budget. The administration wants $200 billion spending cuts, mainly to social spending, but no tax increases. Democrats were furious, while conservative Republicans were happy with the proposals, seeing it as a welcome shift to the right.
May 2, 1993: The House passed its own budget which increased income taxes from 31% to 37% and increased corporate tax to 36%. There were only $25 billion in spending cuts and $5 billion in 'stimulus'. The administration was furious, decrying "obstructionism" and "political posturing" from Congress.
May 5, 1993: A new poll is released contrasting support for the two budget proposals. 54% of Americans support the administrations' budget plans, 34% supported Congress's plan and 10% were undecided. However Bush's approval rating had fallen to 44% and other poll results showed only 41% of Americans had 'great confidence' that the administration could 'seriously reduce the deficit' while 25% of Americans had 'no confidence' in that.
May 6, 1993:Congressional Republicans, congressional Democrats and the administration held a meeting on the budget to agree on a compromise. Democrats accept no major spending cuts, or at least wary of that, while Bush is wary of raising taxes again. Many analysts believe Bush will be forced to raise taxes just like in his first term.
May 8, 1993: Doubts are expressed by many in Congress that the controversial NAFTA(North American Free Trade Agreement) can ever get passed. Secretary of State Baker said Congress will pass it.
May 10, 1993: NATO will begin intervention in Bosnia in 48 hours unless 'concrete steps' are 'immediately undertaken' to get peace. President Bush declared "America will lead the new world order and America will do what is necessary to defend human rights and the innocent. America will stand up for its values."
May 15, 1993: Arsenal defeats Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 to win the 1993 FA Cup.
May 19, 1993: A bomb explodes during session of the
Bundestag, destroying much of the building in Bonn and killing 139 of the Bundestag members, along with Helmut Kohl, Chancellor of Germany, his Minister of the Economy Günther Rexrodt and his Minister of Traffic, Matthias Wissmann, who was just six days in office...
May 20, 1993: A "responsibility claiming" letter by the RAF is sent to newspapers, most importantly the
Hamburger Abendblatt and the
FAZ. People are extremely sceptic due to the sophisticated nature of the bomb. Police continue to blaim the RAF,
Commando Jan-Carl Raspe.
May 21, 1993: An "expert in graphology", Prof. Dr. Karl Anton Pfeiffer of the Stuttgart university, expresses doubt about the authenticity of the RAF letter. He is promptly fired.
May 21, 1993: The Bundestag, not being incapable of decision, elects Hans-Dietrich Genscher (FDP) as the next chancellor after he announced that he "would love to come back into politics in order to help Germany in this dire times". He is the first chancellor of the FDP who is not "acting".
Late May/Early June 1993: Hans-Dietrich Genscher reshuffles the cabinet to reassure FDP/CDU equality. Most importantly, a hawkish Manfred Kanther becomes foreign minister and "vice chancellor".
May 21, 1993: A certain
Armee der Gottesfurcht/Esercito della timore di Dio (Army of the Fear of God) also claims responsibility for the Bonn attack, claiming in a letter that "the sinful communists of Bonn have been attacked, and more attacks will follow until the true faith in the one and only god, represented by The infallible Pope, has been restored".
May 21, 1993: Pope John Paul II. strongly and in very clear words condemns such terrorist attacks in the name of Christianity or Catholicism, and clearly states that those people responsible for the attacks cannot be truly Catholic.
May 21st 1993 - Hillary Rodham Clinton and Bill Clinton separate after months of allegations about his infidelity. Hillary Rodham moves back to her home state of Illinois with the couple's daughter, Chelsea.
May 22, 1993: Roger Miner is confirmed 95-2 by the US Senate and becomes a US Supreme Court Justice. This is Bush's final Supreme Court nomination.
June 1-9, 1993: The Montreal Canadiens defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4 games to 1 to win the 1993 Stanley Cup.
June 6, 1993:President Bush is forced to give into Congress on the budget. Democrats got tax increases in income tax from 31% to 37% and of capital gains tax to 36%, while Bush got $103 million in spending cuts, far more than what most Democrats wanted but less than his original proposal. Both liberals and conservatives were disappointed with the proposal but Congress is likely to pass it reluctantly.
June 12, 1993: Jurassic Park is released into theaters, immediately becoming a rousing success. It beats
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial to become the highest-grossing film of all time.
June 20, 1993: The Chicago Bulls defeat the Phoenix Suns 4 games to 2 to win the 1993 NBA Finals.
June 22, 1993: The budget is passed.
September 18, 1993: Kimberly Clarice Allen, age 18 from Kentucky, is crowned Miss America 1994.
September 24, 1993: The International Olympic Committee selects Berlin, Germany, to host the 2000 Summer Olympics.
September 25, 1993: The Bosnia war came to an end as a framework for peace is signed. This came after a NATO intervention bombing Serb positions. President Bush was and still is widely credited with successful leadership in Bosnia and in getting peace in the region.
October 1, 1993: President George Bush's approval rating is at 48%.
October 3rd, 1993. Battle of Mogadishu takes place, Mohamed Farrah Aidid and top aides captured: On October 3rd, 1993, the U.S. Joint Operations force, Task Force Ranger, participated in a mission to capture leaders of the Habr Gidr Clan, including its leader Mohamed Farrah Aidid, and the mission was a success. President Bush addressed the nation the next evening from the Oval Office. He congratulated the men and women that carried out this mission and also said that "with the capture of these men, we can soon restore order to Somalia and bring the Americans who are serving there home."
October 5, 1993: The Florida Panthers (in the Prince of Wales Conference) and the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (in the Clarence Campbell Conference) make their debut in the NHL.
October 16-23, 1993: The Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 2 to win the 1993 World Series.
November 4, 1993: The NBA awards expansion teams to Toronto, Ontario, and Vancouver, British Columbia, to begin play in the 1995-96 season.
November 7, 1993: Bush reiterated his opposition to the Brady Bill which proposed increased gun control. Critics accused, and still accuse, the President of being a puppet of the gun lobby.
November 12, 1993: The Brady Bill failed to pass the House, getting only 203 votes.
November 16, 1993: President Bush rules out amending NAFTA to appease Democrats wary of the agreement.
November 17, 1993:The House vote on NAFTA is tied, 217-217 for and opposed.
November 18, 1993: NAFTA passes the House 221-213. The agreement is opposed by many liberals as undermining environmental protections and many, including Ross Peror, believe it is dangerous to the economy and will lead to 'a giant sucking sound' of jobs going south to Mexico.
November 19th 1993 - News breaks that Former Governor of Arkansas and 1992 Democratic nominee for President, Bill Clinton is rushed into the University Hospital of Arkansas (UAMS), in Little Rock, Arkansas, it is not yet known why this is.
November 23, 1993: The US Senate passes NAFTA by the narrowest margin possible, averting a filibuster, The historic free trade agreement is passed and is a crowning accomplishment(or failure) of the Bush presidency.
November 21st, 1993 - After days of trying to supress the news, family lawyer, informs a crown of reporters outside the UAMS, that 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas and 50th Attorney General of Arkansas, William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton has died aged 47 from cocaine abuse and overdose. The family lawyer, then goes on to say that, Ms Hillary Rodham and their daughter, Chelsea, have been informed and would like to take this time to grief privately.
November 22nd, 1993: President George H. W. Bush delivers a statement on the death of his former presidential rival, Bill Clinton, mourning his loss as a "talented politician" and urging other Americans not to fall down the same path of drug addiction Clinton did, and offers kind words to the Clinton family.
January 1, 1994: The Virginia Tech Hokies defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks 24-10 to win the 1993-94 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
January 11, 1994: Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain announces a tempoary leave of absence from music in order to go to rehab for depression.
January 30, 1994: The Dallas Cowboys defeat the Cincinnati Bengals 48-9 to win Super Bowl XXVIII.
March 1994- Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis announces that her non-Hodgkin lymphoma had disappeared.
April 22, 1994: Richard Nixon dies.
April 23rd, 1994: At Richard Nixon's funeral, President Bush proudly recalls his days serving President Nixon at the White House and tells many uplifting stories about the former President, helping to rehabilitate his image and set the tone for the funeral.
May 14, 1994: Reading defeats Fulham 3-2 to win the 1994 FA Cup.
May 31-June 14, 1994: The Chicago Blackhawks defeat the New York Rangers 4 games to 3 to win the 1994 Stanley Cup.
June 8-22, 1994: The Chicago Bulls defeat the Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 3 to win the 1994 NBA Finals.
June 15, 1994: The Lion King, the 32nd Disney animated feature film, is released to cinemas. Claimed by Disney to be their first animated feature based on an entirely original story, the films breaks box-office records to become the highest-grossing traditionally animated film of all time.
June 17th 1994- O.J. Simpson is found murdered outside of his home in Brentwood, California.
June 18th 1994- LA Police declare Nicole Brown Simpson a person of intrest in the Murder of OJ Simpson
July 5, 1994: Former Wall Street executive Jeff Bezos founds Xanadu, an Internet retailer specializing in books. Over the years, the business would grow to include many other products such as clothing, electronics, and furniture.
July 17, 1994: Spain defeats Germany 3-0 to win the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
August 21, 1994: Ernesto Zedillo of the Institutional Revolutionary Party is elected President of Mexico.
September 1, 1994: President Bush signed a massive new crime bill putting 100,000 more police officers on the streets. The bill got widespread support at the time and the President declared "Now is not the time to be sot. Now is not the time for empathy. We can have that later. Now is the time to be tough, tough on crime and tough on criminals. That is what we owe to our country to stifle this crime epidemic." The bill has since been criticized for fueling mass incarceration.
September 16, 1994: Tomorrowland at Disneyland closes for an extensive renovation that will remove the 1964 World's Fair-esque architecture and replace it with a heavy science-fiction look.
September 17, 1994: Abby Driscoll, age 23 from Ohio, is crowned Miss America 1995.
September 22nd 1994- The critically acclaimed television series, Friends, premieres. (ATL, Leah Remini plays Rachel Green (the story about Aniston trying out for Monica and getting Rachel is the same thing here), Nancy McKeon plays Monica Geller, Megan Mullally plays Phoebe Buffay, Eric McCormack plays Ross Geller. Jon Cryer play Chandler Bing (who's gay like in the original script.) and Joey Tribbiani is still played by Matt LeBlanc)
October 15-22, 1994: The Montreal Expos defeat the Chicago White Sox 4 games to 3 to win the 1994 World Series.
October 16, 1994: The Finnish people vote 57.6% in favor of joining the European Union.
November 5th, 1994: Former President Ronald Reagan releases a statement admitting he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, in what would be his final public statement to the American people.
November 8, 1994: Democrats retained a huge Senate majority, with 57 seats to 43 Republicans, unseating Republicans in Delaware, Minnesota and Vermont. As the opposition party they had the advantage in midterm elections. However a still struggling economy, opposition to NAFTA, and bitter partisanship on Capitol Hill, along with conservative frustration with the President, led to Democrat victories. Democrats gained 18 seats in the House to get 276 seats to 158 Republicans.
November 8, 1994: Democratic Senator Harris Wofford defeats Republican Rick Santorum to be re-elected as a Senator from Pennsylvania. Wofford's victory is attributed to President Bush's unpopularity as well as Santorum's more conservative views on social issues which were a poor fit with moderate voters in Pennsylvania, especially those in Philadelphia's suburbs.
November 8, 1994: Republican Pete Wilson is re-elected Governor of California over Democrat Kathleen Brown.
November 8, 1994: Democrat Ben Cardin is elected Governor of Maryland over Republican Ellen Saurebruy.
November 8, 1994: Republican Jim Edgar is re-elected Governor of Illinois over Democrat Dawn Netsch.
November 8, 1994: Democrat Ben Cayetano is elected Governor of Hawaii over Independent Frank Fasi and Republican Pat Saiki.
November 8, 1994: Democrat Catherine Baker Knoll is elected Governor of Pennsylvania over Republican Tom Ridge. She is the first woman to be elected Governor of Pennsylvania.
November 13, 1994: The Swedish people vote 58.2% in favor of joining the European Union.
November 23, 1994: Warcraft: Orcs & Humans is released on MS-DOS. The game is an instant hit.
November 23, 1994: On the 31st anniversary of Doctor Who, the BBC announces a joint movie production with Fox, which is written by Steven Moffat and Matthew Jacobs.
November 27-28, 1994: The Norwegian people vote 51.4% in favor of joining the European Union.
November 29th, 1994: Vice President Dan Quayle begins to assemble former Bush operatives to form the groundwork for a presidential campaign in 1996.
January 1, 1995: Norway, Sweden, and Finland officially join the European Union.
January 1, 1995: The Michigan Wolverines defeat the Washington Huskies 20-9 to win the 1994-95 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
January 29, 1995: The Green Bay Packers defeat the San Diego Chargers 27-10 to win Super Bowl XXIX.
February 15, 1995: Dick Gephardt announces run for the presidency.
March 2, 1995: Goldeneyes, the seventeenth James Bond movie premiers on cinemas around the world. The plot consists of 007 (Sean Bean) hunting down rogue CIA agent Alex Travels (Pierce Brosnan) who's trying to reignite the cold war by releasing the Goldeneyes computer virus into the defense systems of the global powers. Dame Judi Dench also stars as the new M. The movie is a global success, revitalizing the franchise while preserving the darker tone of Timothy Dalton's previous installments.
March 9, 1995: MLB announces that two expansion teams are coming to Phoenix, Arizona, and Orlando, Florida, to begin play in the 1998 season.
March 28, 1995: New Jersey Senator Bill Bradley throws his hat into the ring.
March 31, 1995: Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter mounts a run for President.
April 1, 1995: Reverend Jesse Jackson announces a third presidential run.
April 6, 1995: California Governor Pete Wilson announces a run for President.
April 10th, 1995: Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole of Kansas, despite overtures from the White House against him, announces he will run once again for the presidency. He is the first candidate from either party to announce a run.
April 19th 1995- A bomb explodes at The Federal Reserve Bank of New York. 317 people are killed and approximately 600 injured. The perpetrator is Billy Lee Davis, a Neo-nazi, and a member of Stormfront, his motive was to bring about "a war against the Jews who tyrannically control the world economy."
May 3, 1995:1992 Bush primary challenger populist Pat Buchanan announces a run for the 1996 Republican nomination. Pundits dismiss his chances.
May 4, 1995: Senator Phil Gramm of Texas joins the Republican primaries.
May 20, 1995: Reading defeats Aston Villa 3-1 to win the 1995 FA Cup.
May 27, 1995: Actor Christopher Reeve backs out of an equestrian competition in Culpeper, Virginia, due to a bout of food poisoning he experienced the night before.
June 2, 1995: Who Discovered Roger Rabbit? is released to cinemas. The film tells the story of Roger Rabbit's roots on a small Midwestern farm and his journey to Hollywood stardom.
June 3, 1995: Georgia Senator Sam Nunn announces a run for President.
June 4, 1995: Alan Keyes is running.
June 5th, 1995- Batman Forever premiers with glowing reviews. Critics site the selection of Sam Raimi as director, as he managed to strike a happy medium between the darkness of Batman Returns and the campier direction the studio was intent on pursuing to avoid further backlash. Other highlights include the young Christian Bale as Robin (who had great chemistry with Michael Keaton's Batman), John Malkovich's performance as the Riddler, and Clint Eastwood's performance as Two-Face.
June 7-20, 1995: The Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 to win the 1995 NBA Finals.
June 9, 1995: After the birth of his baby daughter, Blind Melon lead singer Shannon Hoon decides to go into rehab once again.
June 12th, 1995: Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska announces he will run for president again, becoming the first Democrat to announce a bid.
June 16, 1995: The International Olympic Committee selects Östersund, Sweden, to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
June 17th 1995 - Texas Governor Ann Richards announces that she's seeking the Democratic Nomination for President in 1996.
June 17-28, 1995: The Detroit Red Wings defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4 games to 2 to win the 1995 Stanley Cup.
June 23, 1995: Pocahontas, the 33rd Disney animated feature film, is released to cinemas. While praised for its art direction and soundtrack, the film is criticized for a significant amount of historical inaccuracies, mainly the fact that Pocahontas married John Rolfe and not John Smith.
4 July, 1995: UK PM John Major wins a leadership contest in his party but resigns, thinking he got too little support.
July 11th 1995 - After weeks of speculation, Tennessee Senator and former Democratic Vice President Nominee 1992, announces that he will not be seeking the Democratic Nomination for President in 1996. Republican media rumour that he has dropped out, due to his links with Clinton.
July 14, 1995: Massachusetts Senator John Kerry joins the race for the Democratic nomination.
July 15, 1995: Indiana Senator Richard Lugar is running.
July 20, 1995: Vice-President Dan Quayle announces a run for the Republican nomination.
July 25, 1995: Former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean announces a run as a Republican for the presidency.
August 2, 1995: Delaware Senator Joe Biden runs for the Presidency.
August 2, 1995: Secretray of Education Lamar Alexander throws his hat in the ring.
August 7, 1995: Billionaire Steve Forbes is running.
August 11, 1995: Former Texas Senator and Dukakis running mate Lloyd Bentsen announces a presidential run.
August 12, 1995: Congressman Robert K Dornan is running.
August 22, 1995: Former Secretary of Education and 'tough on crime conservative' William Bennett is running.
Republican candidates as of November
- Bob Dole
- Dan Quayle
- Pete Wilson
- Arlen Specter
- Pat Buchanan
- Tom Kean
- Steve Forbes
- William Bennett
- Lamar Alexander
- Robert K Dornan
- Richard Lugar
- Alan Keyes
- Phil Gramm
Democratic candidates as of November
- Mario Cuomo
- Evan Bayh
- Howard Dean
- Dick Gephardt
- Jerry Brown
- Bob Kerrey
- George Mitchell
- Sam Nunn
- Doug Wilder
- John Kerry
- Jesse Jackson
- Bill Bradley
- Lloyd Bentsen
- Ann Richards
- Joe Biden
September 6, 1995: Former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder joins the presidential race.
September 6, 1995: Former California Governor Jerry Brown joins the Democratic field.
7 September, 1995: The UK Conservative Party elects Micahel Portillo as their new leader and PM, beating other opponents such as Ken Clarke.
September 16, 1995: Marissa Burns, age 18 from Massachusetts, is crowned Miss America 1996.
September 26, 1995: Penn State football coach Joe Paterno fires his assistant Jerry Sandusky mid-season over allegations of child molestation.
September 22nd 1995 - Hillary Rodham announces her candidacy for Senator of Illinois after incumbent Paul Simon decides not to run for re-election.
September 30, 1995: An FBI raid of Jerry Sandusky's home reveals heaps of evidence of child sexual abuse dating back to 1972.
October 3rd 1995- Nicole Brown Simpson is found not guilty of murdering O.J. Simpson
October 10, 1995: New York Governor Mario Cuomo will make a speech on the presidential race and either run or decline to do so.
October 11, 1995: New York Governor Mario Cuomo announces a run for the Democratic nomination and the presidency.
October 13, 1995: Indiana Governor Evan Bayh joins the race.
October 15, 1995: The Kansas City Wizards defeat the New York Skyliners 3-2 to win the 1995 MLS Cup.
October 17, 1995: Vermont Governor Howard Dean joins the race.
October 18, 1995: Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine enters the Democratic field. The field has at least 14 serious candidates(depending on you definition of serious).
October 21-26, 1995: The Oakland Athletics defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5 games to 2 to win the 1995 World Series.
November 3, 1995: The Toronto Raptors (in the Eastern Conference) and the Vancouver Grizzlies (in the Western Conference) make their debut in the NBA.
4 November, 1995:Israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin survives an assassination attempt by ultranationalist Yigal Amir, who opposed Rabin's peace initiative. Rabin and Palestinian leader Arafat were able to come to an agreement in the Oslo Accords after stellar negotiating by President Bush. Rabin living means the process can continue.
November 5, 1995 - Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and his wife, Aline, are found stabbed in their bed, within their house of 24 Sussex Drive. The assalunt, André Dallaire, a paranoid schizophrenic, is found dead in the basement, from a self inflicted wound.
November 5, 1995: Shannon Hoon comes out of rehab clean and is ready for a new life.
November 6, 1995 - Deputy Prime Minister, Sheila Copps, succeeds Jean Chrétien, to become the second female prime minister of Canada, is sworn in, while the Liberal Party, is in the process of organising a leadership election.
November 10, 1995: Influenced by Washington, D.C.'s long history of gun violence, Washington Bullets owner Abe Pollin announces he will change the team's nickname in time for the 1997-98 NBA season.
November 22, 1995: Toy Story, the first feature-length CGI film in history, is released in cinemas. The films focuses on Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen), and the adventure they must go on after their owner Andy inadvertently abandons them at Pizza Planet.
November 22, 1995: Hare in My Soup, the fourth theatrical Roger Rabbit short, is released in front of
Toy Story.
November 29, 1995: Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder (D-CO) announces that she will be seeking re-election in Colorado's 1st Congressional District. Because the 1st District is heavily Democratic, she is guaranteed to be re-elected the following November.
January 1, 1996: The Fordham Rams defeat the Navy Midshipmen 24-19 to win the 1995-96 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
January 28, 1996: The Houston Oilers defeat the Los Angeles Rams 27-6 to win Super Bowl XXX.
February 3, 1996: After a year of auditions for casting, Peter Capaldi is announced as the Eighth Doctor in Doctor Who Magazine.
February 12th 1996- Ann Richards wins the Iowa Caucuses in a six way race.
February 12th, 1996: Vice President Quayle seems to narrowly defeat Bob Dole in the Iowa caucus after a series of campaign trail gaffes by the former. Nonetheless, coverage is focused on Dole for seeming to "defeat" the incumbent Vice President. A recount a few days later discovers Dole won.
February 20, 1996: Bob Dole wins a narrow victory in New Hampshire on the Republican side. On the Democratic side, Mario Cuomo beats George Mitchell, with others far behind.
New Hampshire-Republicans
Bob Dole-21%
Tom Kean- 19%
Pat Buchanan-19%
William Bennett-12%
Dan Quayle-11%
Lamar Alexander-6%
Steve Forbes-4%
Alan Keyes-3%
Richard Lugar-2%
New Hampshire-Democrats
Mario Cuomo-31%
George Mitchell-22%
John Kerry-12%
Howard Dean-9%
Ann Richards-9%
Bill Bradley-6%
Jerry Brown-4%
Lloyd Bentsen-2%
Jesse Jackson-1%
Sam Nunn-1%
Several candidates left the race before New Hampshire.
After New Hampshire lots of candidates drop out. Only Dole, Quayle, Buchanan and Forbes are left for Republicans. Democrats have Cuomo, Mitchell, Kerry, Biden, Richards, Jackson and Brown left.
February 21st, 1996: After coming in third in Iowa but not even beating one percent in New Hampshire, Sen. Bob Kerrey exits the race but chooses to endorse Ann Richards for the nomination. He is the first former nominee to make an endorsement.
February 24th 1996- Democratic Presidential Candidate, Texas Governor Ann Richards, hosts SNL. In perhaps the most memorable sketch, Richards goes hunting with President Lyndon B. Johnson (also from Texas. Johnson is played by Darrell Hammond). In most of the sketch, Richards used made up "folksy" sayings, such as the famous, "Eyes of a bloodhound, nose of a fish." Richard's appearance caused her support in the polls to go up tremendously.
February 24, 1996: Joe Biden won the Delaware primary with 38% to 29% for Jesse Jackson and 20% for Cuomo. Bob Dole won Delaware with 32% to 30% for billionaire Steve Forbes.
February 27, 1996: Dole wins Arizona, North dakota and South Dakota. Dole is in a very strong position having won every state so far, and Quayle is set to be humiliated. On the Democrat side Ann Richards won a trifecta, and George Mitchell dropped out after poor showings.
February 27, 1996: Pokemon Red and Green is released in Japan for the Nintendo Gameboy, and thanks to a promotion centering around the character Mew, is a massive hit. The game is set for US release in September.
February 28, 1996: In an interview with Diana Sawyer, President Bush is asked about who is supporting for the Republican nomination. He fumbles badly with his response before saying that he believes Vice President Quayle has earned the opportunity. The clip from the interview is seized on by the other Republican contenders, particularly Senator Dole as a lack of support from the White House for the Vice President.
When asked about the interview, the Vice President comes off as both surprised and hurt, providing fodder for late night comedians for the next several months.
March 2, 1996: Richards wins Wyoming but loses South Carolina to Jesse Jackson who gets 44% of the vote to 22% for Richards. Dole wins both.
March 2, 1996: In an effort to save a dying campaign Vice President Dan Quayle hosts Saturday Night Live. While he does generate a good amount of sympathy and in some cases respect for his willingness to make fun of himself, overall his performance is considered stilted and wooden.
A skit where he plays himself and Dana Carvey plays President Bush advising him on his campaign comes off as sad.
March 3, 1996: Dole wins Puerto Rico. Cuomo also wins Puerto Rico.
March 5th - March 12th 1996- Ann Richards beats Jesse Jackson in the Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Tennessee Democratic Primaries. She easily wins Oklahoma and Texas without any real challenge.
March 5-12, 1996:Dole wins every contest, virtually wrapping up the nomination. The Democrat race remains competitive. Cuomo wins Colorado, Connecticut, Munnesota, Rhode Island and Vermont. Kerry and Mitchell win their home states of Maine and Massachusetts but with no other wins drop out. Cuomo wins New York. He loses Missouri. On March 12 he wins Oregon. Richards has a delegate lead due to her sweep of the South. The race is now Cuomo vs Richards though Brown stays in.
March 12, 1996: The Dana Carvey Show premieres on CBS. Featuring many players from Chicago's Second City and former cast members of
Saturday Night Live, the show gets record late-night ratings for CBS and is immediately renewed for a second season.
March 13th 1996- Jesse Jackson ends his campaign for the Democratic Nomination.
March 19th, 1996: Businessman H. Ross Perot hints he may run for president again under the Reform Party of America banner. Perot has remained politically active and popular among disaffected voters since his 1992 campaign.
March 19th-26th, 1996: Governor Mario Cuomo sweeps in all but one of the contests that take place from March 19th-26th. Cuomo won the primaries in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Washington, and Cuomo also narrowly won California. Richards only narrowly won the State of Nevada.
March 29, 1996: The Kansas City Council narrowly approve plans for The Land of Oz, a theme park inspired by the works of L. Frank Baum.
April 1, 1996: A UK election is held. Conservative Prime Minister Portillo, despite a brief polling surge, suffers a crushing defeat. The Tories got 36% of the vote to 41% for Labour and 17% for the LibDems, but in seat terms the loss was truly devastating. The party, which had governed since 1979, lost 128 seats and were left with just 215/659 seats. Labour gained a 99-seat majority.
Tony Blair-Labour: 379+106 41.4%
Michael Portillo-Conservative: 215-128 35.5%
Paddy Ashdown-LibDem: 36+18 17.1%
659 seats
330 for majority
The centrist 'third way' of Blair's 'New Labour' was ascendant against a sleaze-ridden, divided, unpopular, tired and embattled Conservative Party. UK politics was dramatically changed.
April 23rd, 1996: The Pennsylvania Primary was narrowly won by Governor Cuomo. Although Cuomo won a lot of states in late March and April, Richards, with her Southern advantage remained competitive. With many Southern and competitive Western states up for grabs in May and June, Richards was still competitive and made clear that she wasn't ready to exit the race.
May 1st, 1996: In a televised interview, Sen. Al Gore of Tennessee endorses Gov. Mario Cuomo for the Democratic nomination in a surprise move, and discusses the environment. Reporters are told in advance Gore will not discuss Clinton or their campaign. Though his wishes are respected, the request leaks to the press.
May 3, 1996: New York Governor Mario Cuomo accuses Richards of being too conservative, saying " What's the point of defeating a Republican if we just elect a Republican anyway?!"
May 4, 1996: Cuomo's remarks cause a media firestorm, and they are widely condemned. Richards declares" I am a Democrat and I will lead our karts to victory and be a leader, while Governor Cuomo will fail to win the election or fix our problems."
May 5, 1996: Cuomo apologises for his comments, saying "Governor Richards is absolutely a Democrat and would be a fine president, however I would be a better president"
May 7, 1996: Richards sweeps the May 7 primaries. DC, Indiana and North Carolina go to Richards. In a resounding comeback Richards gets 69% in DC, 60% in North Carolina and Indiana is a closer win with her getting 49% to Cuomo's 43%.
May 8, 1996: In her victory speech Richards sets off controversy when she says "A lot of people aren't ready for the first female President, they can't stand it. Too many Democrats are afraid to make progress. And frankly, that's sexism." Cuomo's campaign says "It is appalling that. Governor Richards would accuse her opponents of sexism when we all know the disagreement with the Governor is a civil one questioning her credentials to lead the Democratic Party and the USA." Richards refuses to apologise, declaring "Sexism is a real fact in this campaign and we will overcome it."
May 11th, 1996: Illinois Senate candidate Hillary Rodham offers her support for Ann Richards and asserts that sexism is alive and real, but when asked to clarify, denies forcefully that opponents of Richards are sexist. She offers praise for Gov. Cuomo as well. Rodham successfully avoids controversy and partially defuses the tension created by Richards' statement.
May 11, 1996: Disney's Big Apple Resort & Spa opens in Times Square as part of the company's Disney Vacation Club chain.
May 11, 1996: Newcastle United defeats Wigan Athletic 1-0 to win the 1996 FA Cup.
May 12, 1996: The Doctor Who movie is released in the US and the UK. The story is about the battle of the Doctor (Peter Capaldi) and the Master (Kevin Spacey) against Lord President Rassilon (Timothy Dalton), after both get called back to Gallifrey. Before that happens, however, Rassilon reveals that the Doctor and the Master are brothers and sons of the time lord Ulysses, whose memories were erased by Rassilon. So,they fight against Rassilon and kill him, starting the Gallifreyan Revolution which culminates in the fall of the Time Council. The movie ends with the start of the Time War and the Dalek invasion of Gallifrey. The movie grosses $76 million in the US and $112 million in the UK, making it a relative success.
May 12, 1996: Democratic national poll;
Cuomo-45%
Richards-42%
Brown-12%
May 14th, 1996: Sen. John Kerry, a former candidate, and Sen. Ted Kennedy, both of Massachusetts, along with Kennedy's nephew John F. Kennedy, Jr., all endorse Mario Cuomo for the nomination, praising his work in New York.
May 14th 1996- After this point, Richards is expected to win the last of the primaries except for New Jersey. Despite this prediction, Richards' campaign determines that even though they have a majority of delegates, they won't have enough delegates to win on the first ballot. Ann Richards convinces Jerry Brown to withdraw to avoid a possible PR nightmare for the whole Democratic Party at a contensted convention. Brown agress, he withdraws and endorses Richard Lamn for President.
May 17th 1996 Democratic National Poll
Richards - 51%
Cuomo - 48 %
Other - 1 %
May 14, 1996: Tomorrowland 2055 opens at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Immersing guests in the worlds of Jules Verne and Buck Rogers, the refurbished land features such attractions as
The ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter,
The Visionarium movie-in-the-round, the
Plectu's Fantastic Intergalactic Revue animatronic show, and the
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea submarine ride. The area also features updated versions of
Autopia,
Space Mountain,
Rocket Jets (now named
Orbitron), and the
PeopleMover (now named
The Rockettower PeopleMover).
May 29th, 1996: Film director George Lucas is hospitalized after a deadly car crash. He dies later that evening, aged 52.
May 29, 1996: Sublime lead singer Bradley Nowell goes missing during a tour and is reportedly walking down a beach in San Francisco.
May 31, 1996: Japan is announced as the host of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
June 4-16, 1996: The New Jersey Devils defeat the Calgary Flames 4 games to 3 to win the 1996 Stanley Cup.
June 4, 1996: The final Democratic primraies are held in Montana, New Mexico, Alabama and New Jersey. Cuomo easily wins New Jersey with 58% of the vote, Richards won Alabama similarly. Montana went richards too. However in an upset New mexico went Cuomo by a margin of 0.1%. No candidate had gotten a majority and so superdelegates would decide the race. Richards has won 23 contests while Cuomo has won 24. Overall Richards has a slight delegate lead as she has a few more landslides and big wins in the South and states like Texas. Superdelegates can throw the race either way.
June 5th 1996- Polish Officials announce they have found Raphael's Portrait of a Young Man. It had been missing since the end of WWII. Millions of Polish citizens celebrate as the armoured truck carrying the painting brings it back to Kraków in an almost parade-like fashion.
June 5-16, 1996: The Charlotte Hornets defeat the San Antonio Spurs 4 games to 2 to win the 1996 NBA Finals.
June 6th 1996- The last Democratic President, Jimmy Carter, in an interview, says that Ann Richards should be the Democratic Nominee because she won the popular vote and has more delegates.
June 7th 1996-Senators Robert Byrd and Ernest Hollings, and several other Southern Politicians serving as Superdelegates make a pact to endorse Ann Richards
June 1996-More and more undeclared Super-delegates decide to go with Richards after hearing President Carter "pseudo"-endorse Ann Richards for the Democratic nomination.
June 7th, 1996: Tim Burton's
Superman Lives, starring Nicholas Cage, is released by Warner Bros to mixed reviews, but enjoys strong merchandising sales. While praise is given to many of the film's early sequences, the ending is universally panned. "Lexiac" becomes a popular term for a failed or illogical merger.
June 9th, 1996: Gov. Richard Lamm of Colorado announces he will run for the Reform Party nomination after an assurance that Perot would not enter the race. Nonetheless, sources close to Perot claim he is "still deciding".
July 1996: Presidential preference polls are released to members of the Reform Party including Ross Perot, Richard Lamm, and a write-in field. Anyone who qualifies for over ten percent of votes will be allowed to address the Long Beach convention in August. Perot has not yet announced a run, fueling curiosity.
July 10th, 1996: Ross Perot announces on Larry King Live that he will be a candidate for the nomination of the Reform Party after months of speculation. Richard Lamm reportedly is upset, claiming later Perot had assured him he would not run again.
June 10, 1996: Bradley Nowell is found in the basement of a motel barely alive, with a stash of heroin, and crying about how it has ruined his life.
July 11th, 1996: DraftJerry.com is launched, a website urging voters to add their names to a mailing list urging Jerry Brown to run as the Reform Party nominee. It is assumed that Brown is a member of the Reform Party due to endorsing Lamm. Brown denies interest.
July 12, 1996: Nickelodeon Movies releases
The Ren & Stimpy Movie to cinemas. The first theatrically released film based on a Nicktoon, it tells the story of how the two title characters go to Hollywood to meet Stinky Whizzleteats, singer of Stimpy's favorite song "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy."
July 19-August 4, 1996: The 1996 Summer Olympics are held in Atlanta, Georgia. The host United States leads in the medal count, followed by Russia and Germany.
July 23, 1996: Texas Governor Ann Richards secures the 2,147 delegates needed to win. She will be the first female nominee of a major party in history. Cuomo drops out as superdelegates choose Richards. The New York Governor congratulated Richards, and saying "Ann Richards is our nominee. It is imperative that we do everything we can to unite our party and elect her. She will be an outstanding President and be the leader this country needs." Richards declared "This is the dawn of a new era, an era where America's potential is unlimited. Thank you all." Onto the Dole v Richards general election!
August 1996: A leak of possible Dole running mates linked to the press, attributed to the campaign. A Dole spoksman denies it's accuracy and claims it is a forgery, but it nonetheless sparked popular interest.
- Vice President Dan Quayle of Indiana
- Sen. John McCain of Arizona
- Gov. George Pataki of New York
- Rep. Jack Kemp of New York
- Rep. John Kasich of Ohio
- Justice Antonin Scalia
- Gov. George Allen of Virginia
- Rep. Newt Gingrich of Georgia
- Sec. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee
- Sec. Dick Cheney of Wyoming
- Mr. Alan Keyes of Maryland
- Mr. Pat Buchanan of Virginia
July 26th 1996- The Richards Campaign begins to reach out to possible running mates: Jay Rockefeller, John Kerry, Bill Bradley, and Joe Biden.
Ann Richards also visits with some of the last living suffragettes in Washington D.C., about 15 suffragettes attend, all are over the age of 95. Those who weren't able to make it get a phone call, a signed photograph, and letters personally written by the Governor. Richards cried after giving a speech in which she said "These brave, courageous, and patriotic women are the reason why I am able to run for President." Clips of the event would be used in several campaign ads later that fall.
July 28th 1996-The Washinton Post publishes a story by an insider in The Reagan Adminstration that President George Bush lied about his supposed "unawareness" of most of the Iran-Contra affair.
July 29th 1996-The White House claims that the supposed insider is merely an attention-seaker.
August 2nd 1996-Vice President Dan Quayle is caught on tape saying that President Bush was "involved in a lot that no one knows anything about."
August 3, 1996: The UK Conservative Party elects Ken Clarke as its new leader, with Clarke getting 114/215 MPs. Clarke is a Europhile but faces many Eurosceptics in the party ranks and the Tories are set for a new round of infighting.
August 5, 1996: Israeli PM Rabin calls a new election.
August 5th 1996- The Richards Campaign says they've made their decision on who their running mate will be, but they will not release the "Senator's name" until the convention.
August 9, 1996: A national poll shows Richards at 45%, Dole at 36% and Perot at 13%.
August 11, 1996: Another national poll shows Richards at 44%, Dole at 41%, and Perot at 9%
August 11th, 1996: The Reform Party's Long Beach convention is held. Perot and Lamm address the convention, as does Brown, who continues to deny interest and repeats his support for Lamm. He is nonetheless the most popular speaker at the convention. Voters will be allowed to select the nominee via mail for the next week, who will deliver an acceptance speech in primetime.
August 12th 1996- Tycoon Donald Trump says he'd be willing to run on the Reform Party ticket as a possible running mate.
August 12th-15th, 1996: The Republican national Convention takes place in San Diego California. Some Speakers at the Convention included President Bush, Vice President Quayle, Former President Gerald Ford, Former First Lady Nancy Reagan, and General Colin Powell. Bob Dole was officially nominated by the Republican Party and Jack Kemp, former New York Congressman and former HUD Secretary was chosen by Dole to be his running mate. Despite a smooth convention and a bump in the polls due to the success of the convention, Senator Dole still trailed Governor Richards 51-48%.
August 18th, 1996: Ross Perot wins the Reform Party's nomination narrowly over former governor Jerry Brown, who attracted a strong draft campaign despite not even running. To unify the party, Perot chooses Brown as his running mate.
August 19th 1996-Questions in President Bush's role of the Iran-Contra affair continue to rise after The Washington Post published a story nearly two weeks ago, that Bush lied about his knowledge of certain events in the scandal. In an interview about the allegations, the President gets very combatant and says "The whole thing was over my damned head the entire time, that's it. There's no controversy."
August 23, 1996: A new poll shows Richards leading just outside the margin of error, 42% to 38% for Dole, with Perot at 16%. It's the closest the race has been, and the media(and many Democrats) speculate that Brown's selection as VP could siphon off enough votes from Richards to make the race competitive.
August 28th, 1996: After the death of filmmaker George Lucas, Steven Spielberg's Dreamworks Studios purchases Lucasfilm and announces production will resume on
Indiana Jones IV based on ideas he and Lucas had discussed before his death.
August 26th-29th 1996- The 1996 Democratic National Convention is held. Ann Richards is nominated, her running mate is announced as Senator Bill Bradley of New Jersey. Speakers include Former Senators Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, and controversial Senator Jennings Randolph, Representatives Bill Richardson and Gary Frank, and Current Senators, Dianne Feinstein and Carol Mosely Braun. In attendance are Former First Ladies, Jackie Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson, President Carter and his wife, former Democratic nominees, Walter Mondale, and Michael Dukakis.
August 30th 1996 Presidential Election Poll:
Ann Richards/ Bill Bradley - 56%
Bob Dole/ Jack Kemp - 43%
Other - 1%
August 30th 1996- Musician Cher says she'll campaign for Ann Richards extensively. She eventually writes a campaign song for Richards, "A Strong, Tough Woman."
September 6th 1996 - The new British Prime Minister Tony Blair begins an affair with a Downing Street assistant, Lauren Hunter
September 4th 1996-The Richards Campaign bunkers down in Wilmington, North Carolina, as Category 4 Hurricane Fran is due to make landfall. Ann Richards says to her campaign staffers that they should have a Hurricane Party. In a video of the party, Ann Richards is seen dancing the Macarena.
September 7th 1996- United Airlines Flight 56, carrying 250 passengers and crew from Paris to New York City vanishes somewhere over the North Atlantic.
September 7, 1996: Rapper Tupac Shakur gets into an altercation with Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson, an alleged Crips member, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. Shakur is stabbed in the back of the neck, and is rushed to the hospital.
September 10, 1996: Tupac Shakur is released from the hospital after receiving 67 stitches on the back of his neck for the injury he sustained during a fight with Orlando "Baby Lane" Anderson.
September 14, 1996: Scarlett Baxter, age 21 from South Dakota, is crowned Miss America 1997.
September 14, 1996: israeli PM Yitzhak Rabin is re-elected with 55% of the vote and so the peace process is set to continue. Rabin had stirred controversy by disbanding settlements in Palestine but it looks like the bitter conflict is reaching its end.
September 16, 1996: A new poll shows Bush's approval rating rising to 60% as there is peace and prosperity. It seems Dole's strategy of distancing himself from the President is unwise.
September 21, 1996: Polls show Richards leading by double-digita. Voters express the desire for change and like Richards more than Dole. Many conservatives abstain from the election after 8 years of Bush.
September 23, 1996: The television series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Joss Whedon, premieres on the WB. It follows the adventures of teenager Buffy Summers (Elizabeth Anne Allen) who is "the Slayer," the latest in a long line of young women who have been magically chosen to battle evil forces. She is joined by supporting characters Xander Harris (Ryan Reynolds), Rupert Giles (Anthony Stewart Head), and Willow Rosenberg (Alyson Hannigan) as well as recurring characters Cordelia Chase (Sarah Michelle Geller) and Angel (Nathan Fillion).
October 4th, 1996: It is announced that Perot narrowly misses the threshold for entry into the first presidential debate, having only 14%. An angry Perot vows to take the case to court.
October 4, 1996: The Carolina Cyclones (in the Wales Conference) and the Colorado Avalanche (in the Campbell Conference) make their debut in the NHL.
October 6, 1996: The first presidential debate is held between Dole and Richards, with Perot excluded. Richards wins, saying "We need leadership looking to the future for the new millennium, open and innovative government, and not tired leadership but leadership ready to lead." This outlined her case against Dole, that he was too old and tired and not open and innovative enough to lead America into the 21st century.
October 12, 1996: The 1996 New Zealand General Election is held, the first under the proportional MMP system. The center-right National Party gets 34% of the vote and 44/120 seats, center-left Labour gets 28% and 37/120 seats, while populist NZ First gets 13% and 17 seats.
October 16, 1996: The second debate goes similarly, with Richards being the winner.
October 18th 1996- Donald Trump calls Ross Perot an "idiotic lunatic who's screwing up the election."
October 19, 1996: A Gallup poll shows 51% Richards, 38% Dole and 11% Perot. It has a margin of error of 3%.
October 20, 1996: The Dallas Barons defeat the Tampa Bay Mutiny 3-0 to win the 1996 MLS Cup.
October 20-27, 1996: The New York Yankees defeat the Houston Astros 4 games to 3 to win the 1996 World Series.
October 21st 1996- Bob Dole says that Ann Richards isn't Presidential because she acts more like a celebrity than a candidate. Richards responds, "Poor Bob
Dull, he's a tired old fuddy-duddy who doesn't know how to have a good time."
October 23rd 1996- The Washington Post story about President Bush's role in Iran-Contra is revealed to be an elaborate hoax, after it gained little traction in the media due to the Presidential Election.
October 24th 1996- A suitcase washes up on a Nova Scotia beach. It is widely believed to be from the missing United Airlines Flight 56 that vanished in September. Scientists say it's extremely unlikely and a "one in a billion chance"
October 25th 1996- A judge rules against Ross Perot's "debate-gate" allegations.
October 26th 1996 - The Cleveland Indians defeat the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 2 to win the 1996 World Series. Several blocks of downtown Cleveland are burned to the ground by drunken rioters celebrating Cleveland's first major sports championship in over 30 years.
October 28th 1996- In the last week of the Campaign, Bob Dole breaks his leg after falling off a stage in Dayton, Ohio.
October 30th 1996- Illinois Senate Candidate, Hillary Rodham, is photographed embracing an unknown woman outsider her house in Chicago. It appears on The front cover of the National Enquirer with the title, "Was Hillary Rodham rodded by this woman?" Rodded, which was a made-up word, quickly became a term to describe a closeted gay woman.
November 2 and November 3, 1996: A particularly warm year ends on a bad note: Hurricane Natania, reaching far above the requirements for Grade 5 despite its northerly latitude (off the coast of southernmost North Carolina) makes landfall in Brunswick, NC. There, it manages to blow away all emergency power systems for the Brunswick-1 and Brunswick-2 nuclear reactors and damages the reactor core containment severely. Due to the following power outages and severe operational negligence on the part of the workers, the incredible happens: The core melts in
both blocks, the containment, already weakened by Hurricane Natania, does not hold out anymore and radioactivity in a dose double that of Cernobyl leaks into the atmosphere... but not into the ground, luckilly, as there is no graphite fire in addition to a molten core.
The prevailing winds are due north and northeast. Hurricane Natania soon is downgraded to Level 2, but the damage is done. The reaction to this event following in the few days before election will later be credited with bringing whoever wins his or her victory.
November 4, 1996: Final pre-election polls show Ann Richards in the lead. A Gallup poll shows 49% Richards, 38% Dole and 12% Perot. Pundits predict a Richards victory, Democrats keeping Congress and low turnout. However a CNN poll shows 14% Perot, 42% Dole and 42% Richards, in a result contrasting with other polls.
Ann Richards (D-TX)/ Bill Bradley (D-NJ) - 437 EVS 45% PV
Bob Dole (R-KS)/ Jack Kemp (R-NY) - 90 EVS 32% PV
Ross Perot (RF-TX)/ Jerry Brown (RF-CA)- 11 EVS - 22% PV
November 5, 1996: Democrats retain both houses of Congress. Republicans gained 3 Senate seats(same results as IOTL, but Landrieu lost). the Senate balance of power was 54 D-46 R. In the House Democrats gained 2 seats to get 278 seats in the House. This gave President Richards a strong mandate for her presidency.
November 5, 1996: Republican Peggy Wilson is elected as a U.S. Senator from Louisiana over Democrat Mary Landrieu.
November 5, 1996: America has elected its first female President and after 16 years returned Democrats to the White House. With a 13-point margin of victory, over 400 EVs and solid majorities in both houses of Congress the new President has a mandate to lead America into the new millennium. Richards vowed new leadership for the new millennium, and her 'New Democrat' moderate approach, refining Bill Clinton's failed 1992 bid, managed to land her the presidency. The Richards/Bradley ticket stayed firmly in the center, though they also promised healthcare reform. The Dole campaign's best chance was to hug President Bush, who has returned to popularity with a good economy. But instead Dole distanced himself from the President, and his muddled campaign led to voters failing to get a clear sense of Bob Dole and allowing the idea that he was a tired dinosaur of the past to succeed. Ross Perot's bid, with Jerry Brown as his running mate, was even more successful than in 1992. Wooing disaffected liberals and conservatives, Perot got a stellar 22% and even electoral votes. Dole and Republicans are already blaming Perot for their defeat, with his running mate Jack Kemp saying to reporters "Ann Richards didn't get a majority. We lost because Ross Perot took our votes. He took conservatives from us and gave Richards the presidency." But given the extent of Richards's landslide that's hard to believe. What is clear is what Richards said in her victory speech "This is a new dawn for America, and the times are changing. The new era is dawning, the new millennium!" That is true, for good or for bad.
November 5, 1996 - John F. Kennedy Jr. stood for the New York 1st District against incumbent, Michael Forbes. Kennedy was able to gain the seat with a majority of 55.28% to Forbes' 42.72%
November 5th 1996 - Republican Yesse Yehudah narrowly defeats Democrat Barack Obama in a hotly contested race for the 13th District of the Illinois State Senate.
November 5th 1996- Hillary Rodham (nee Clinton) is elected Senator of Illinois. Jesse Helms defeated in a close race by Democrat Harvey Gantt. Gannt is the First African American to be elected to the Senate from the South in American History.
November 8, 1996: The Disney adaptation of
Don Quixote is released to cinemas. The film features Brad Pitt as the voice of Don Quixote, John Goodman as the voice of Sancho Panza, Cheech Marin as the voice of Burro the Donkey, and a soundtrack by little-known Latin pop singer Ricky Martin.
November 12, 1996: Russian Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov was killed by Russian National Unity forces
November 15, 1996: Space Jam, starring the Looney Tunes and Michael Jordan, is released to cinemas. The film's theme song "Come On & Slam" becomes one of the biggest hits of the 1990s.
November 18th 1996 - Downing Street Press Secretary Alistair Campbell becomes aware of the affair, agreeing to cover it up despite warning Blair to end it
November 19th, 1996: Within a few months of being sworn in to his second term as President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, dies at the age of 65 years old, during an emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery. Prime Minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin assums the role of Acting President.
December 1, 1996: Snap Presidential Elections in Russia. Alexander Lebed won in this elections with 56,4%. Viktor Chernomyrdin took the second place.
December 1, 1996: After protracted coalition negotiations, NZ First leader Winston Peters forms a coalition with the Labour Party, which is led by Helen Clark. To get a majority in parliament the coalition gets confidence and supply from the left-wing Aliance, led by Jim Anderton. And so Helen Clark becomes New Zealand's first woman Prime Minister, while Peters becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
December 2nd 1996- Campbell privately briefs security staff at Number 10 to ensure cover ups of Blair's affair are made by security, contrary to government rules/regulations
December 22, 1996: In their first season in Baltimore after leaving Cleveland, the Baltimore Ravens go 0-16. Most fans and commentators around the country consider the winless season to be well deserved karma.
December 22, 1996: The National Party caucus elects former Health Minister Jenny Shipley as their new leader.
January 1, 1997: The UCLA Bruins defeat the North Carolina Tar Heels 17-7 to win the 1996-97 NCAA Bowl Coalition National Championship.
January 20, 1997: Dorothy Ann Willis Richards is inaugurated President of the United States. Richards takes the office from outgoing two-term President Bush. Richards gives her address, saying "Well now, there's a woman as President!" The bulk of her speech was focused on outlining her vision for America. She said "We have a nation stronger than at any point before in history. But our work is not yet complete. More needs to be done, so we can be a kinder, gentler society. That is why I will push for measures as President that will lift people up and made America a better place. We are going to have healthcare reform, and we're going to always fight for the little guy, and the little gal. But a strong economy and strong society aren't mutually exclusive, we are going to work to balance the budget and keep our economy going strong. I promise you this, I will always fight for you as your President." Richards starts off with broad public support and few enemies, but that support is wide but likely not that deep.
Cabinet Appointees (OOC: Awaiting Congress Approval)
Secretary of State: John Kerry
Secretary of Defense: Sam Nunn
Secretary of Treasury: William Perry
Attorney General: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Secretary of the Interior: Jesse Jackson
Secretary of Agriculture: Gary Hart
Secretary of Education: Bruce Babbitt